The Hero and the Monster
by crazstiz
Summary: A war has started, because of a brother. Which side will fall and who will be lost? Part 2 of the Hunter and the Widow series!
1. Chapter 2

HAVING ISSUES POSTING. THIS IS THE REAL FIRST CHAPTER FOR THE HERO AND THE MONSTER.!

The Hero and the Monster

All power to Robert Kirkman and AMC!

Though I despise that I have to wait until October!

Pretty please reviews! There is a major original character on his way!

Warnings for language! I have a potty mouth and it shows! Especially threw the Dixon boys!

Carol sat on her bed, listening to the sounds around her. Daryl and Rick quietly talking, Sophia chatting excitedly with Carl, Beth singing an old melody in the corner, Carol's infant son cooing in her arms. Things certainly had changed in the past year.

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After the herd moved thru the farm, the group had followed the plan, meeting first at the freeway, then at a town named Jasper. The plan had worked! Andrea, who the group thought lost, found them there four days after the herd moved thru. She brought with her Michonne, a dark woman with a lethal sword. Michonne was accepted into the group and proved to be a strong member. Andrea also brought terrible news.

Dale, who had been on watch at the time the herd moved thru, was dead. When Andrea slipped out the back door during the evacuations, she had run to the RV. When she got there, she found Dale, dead on the roof. With no injuries or other symptoms, they had assumed something along the lines of a heart attack had occurred. They mourned his passing, but had to move on.

And move on they did! Less than a month after they lost the farm, they found the prison. It had taken a lot of work, but they had done just as Rick had said. They had fortified the prison, and built a life together.

The prison had been a strong hold from the start, but with the several additions, it was impenetrable.

They fixed up the fence on the backside of the prison where the wall had been blown away. They had found a farm, rich with supplies, which they took quite a bit from.

They took a large backhoe, and dug a ten foot deep by ten foot wide trench around the fence of the prison. With spikes in the bottom of the trench, no walkers had made it close to the fence. They used the dirt to level out the prison yard, making it fit to grow food, and to make hanging baskets. They also found quite a few solar panels from farms and homes in the area. They had taken them to the prison, and after some experimentation, they now had enough electricity for a few lights, a hot water heater, an oven, a freezer and refrigerator.

From the farm, they now had plenty of supplies for farming, from seeds, to equipment, to animals. The prison now housed a large group of dairy cows, a steer, a small herd of goats, many chickens and three horses, all found at either the farm or neighboring farms. Daryl had also found two dogs at the same farm as the horses, a Rhodesian ridgeback who Sophia had named Mojo, and a border collie she had named Jazzy. Mojo spent his days at Daryl's side, hunting and protecting, and his nights sleeping in Sophia's cell, right at the doorway. Jazzy spent most of her time with the animals, doing what she was bred to, but was very affectionate with the whole group.

The group had changed too in the year since the farm. They had grown bigger, first with the addition of Michonne, then a few months ago with the addition of another small group of four. Tyresse and Sasha were brother and sister, while Alan and Ben were father and son. They fit in well with the group, even with Alan fighting being under Rick and Daryl's leadership, but Tyresse had worked things out. They had also found Morgan, the man who saved Rick's life. After about a week with the group, he began to open up, and trusted the group. His guidance had helped them greatly.

Morgan had been gathering weapons since the world fell, and with the group, put them to good use. Besides guns, they now had explosives, lots and lots of explosives. Morgan also brought two 50 cal turret guns, which were now mounted in the back of 2 of the 4 vehicles. As the "war machines" were being built, Glenn had made a joke about the zombies in Call of Duty 2, and now the "war machines" were also called Juggernog, which Daryl drove, and Double tap, which Rick favored. They also had a fast sports car that Glenn loved named Speed Cola, and an ambulance, stocked with supplies, now labeled Quick Revive. The cars were a life saver, efficient at killing with added spikes on the fenders and bumpers, and easily handled. *

They had also added two new men, from the prison. There had originally been five men, but three had come to their ends, either by walker, Rick or Daryl for their attacks on the group. The two surviving inmates fit into the group more or less. Oscar became good friends with TDog, and was a skilled tattoo artist, penning new ink on the virgin Rick, and the experienced Daryl, as well as others in the group. Axel, while perhaps not as trustworthy as Oscar, was a close friend of Hershel, and was very skilled with farm work. The group had grown to accept the newcomers, and grew stronger for them.

The group had become close, some members closer than others.

After Lori's betrayal, Rick became focused on being a good father, and a good leader. Surprisingly, Andrea and he were drawn to each other. They had started their relationship quietly, mindful of Carl's feelings, but those worries were laid to rest quickly. One day while they were moving some of the animals around, the steer, who had a tendency to be difficult, had broken a fence and was rushing for Carl. Andrea at the last possible second through herself in front of the steer, scaring it badly and sending it rushing back into the corral. As the group regained control of the animals, they looked over to see Andrea hugging Carl close, kissing him on the forehead. A few days after that, Carl had started to call Andrea Mom, and Rick and her came public with their relationship. This was no news to anyone; it had been obvious the two were in love.

Michonne, who had come to the group with two armless, jawless packing walkers, was slow to fit in with the group. But thru Andrea and Carol, who both felt she deserved some peace, Michonne opened up, and became a part of the group. A few weeks after that, TDog and her were caught in the pantry kissing by Carl and Sophia, who ran around proclaiming the news. While embarrassed, they were both happy, and the group was happy for them.

Glenn and Maggie had become tighter, and were now talking about getting married. They had been together since the farm, and they made each other stronger. Beth, who was deeply hurt by Jimmy abandoning her to leave with Shane and Lori, had become depressed, but pulled herself out of it when they began to make the prison home. Hershel almost lost his leg, nearly getting bit as they cleared out the cell block, but Daryl's quick instincts and new, stronger, faster bow saved him. He was now happy as a clam, acting as the group's doctor, yet getting to enjoy his practice again with the new animals, and the supplies they had taken from several vets' offices.

Sophia was growing each day, and now was taller than Carl, who made it very obvious he was not happy with the new arrangement. Carl had taken quite a shine to Sophia, much to Daryl's annoyance. One day, not long after they caught Michonne and TDog in the pantry, Rick caught Sophia and Carl in the same place. Nothing vulgar, just some kissing, but Daryl had exploded. He was not ready to have Sophia grow up into a young woman, not after he just became her father. But Carol was able to calm him down, and that night, Rick, Andrea, Carol and Daryl sat down with the young teenagers and explained they're rules. No kissing or touching at least until they were 16, and if they broke those rules, well, there would be hell to pay. They both reluctantly agreed, but Daryl was always eyeing Carl to keep him in line.

Rick and Daryl had become tight, as they both lead the group. Daryl hated politics, left that to Rick, but Rick was always checking with Daryl on his opinions. They had become best friends, and called each other brother. Daryl missed Merle more than he could bear at times, but knew that if Merle hadn't disappeared, he never would have had a shot at the family he now had. He trusted Rick, followed him like he had Merle. Rick was the first male in Daryl's life to respect him. Daryl had been belittled by society, badgered by his brother, and brutally tortured at the hands of his father. Rick had been the first person to truly ask Daryl's opinion, on anything real, in Daryl's life. He had a say in his own life for the first time, because of Rick. Daryl respected Rick; he had proven himself more than enough times to Daryl.

The day they took the prison, Rick and Daryl fought back to back with each other. There were some close calls, and if it weren't for the trust they put in each other, they never would have taken the prison, and never would have had the life they had now.

Daryl and Carol had grown closer. Now together a year, their relationship had been tested many times, thru dangers of this new world, like continual walkers and prison life, and old dangers like jealousy and pregnancy.

Most they had worked thru easily, but Carol becoming pregnant tested they're limits. Carol had been told by doctors after Sophia that she would never have another child. But about 5 months into Daryl and hers' relationship, Carol had begun throwing up, and gaining weight. She told Daryl she thought it had something to do with menopause, but he was unconvinced. She denied being pregnant, and avoided taking a test until one day 2 months later, she fainted. Carol woke up to Daryl, clutching her hand and leading her into consciousness. She remembered the words he said to her, quietly growled. "Ya gonna take that test, which ya no is positive, ya gonna start caring for ya self like a pregnant woman should, or we're threw. I ain't leavin' Sophia, never gonna do that. But you and I, if ya can't deal with this, we're done." She had cried at his words, and he had been right. Four and a half months later, she gave birth.

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Carol came out of her memories, to a touch on her arm. It was Daryl, smiling down at her, and their minutes old son. She smiled back, and reached up for a kiss.

"What'd ya think we outta call him?" Daryl's accent came thru strong in his whispered words.

"I know what you want him to be named." Carol looked into his eyes, as hers teared up.

"Ya okay with it?"

"Yes, I think his name should have meaning."

Daryl smiled at their son, as the little boy opened his deep blue eyes.

"MJ, short for Merle Dixon Junior."

*- this is what I had in mind for the cars.

Juggernog and Double Tap

Cars/2010-Dodge-Ram-Pickup-2500-Pictures-c22019_pi 35843510?picturesTabFilter=EXTERIOR

SpeedCola

Cars/2013-Jaguar-XJ-Series-Pitures-c23575


	2. Chapter 2b

The Hero and the Monster

All power to Robert Kirkman and AMC!

Though I despise that I have to wait until October!

Pretty please reviews! There is a major original character on his way!

Warnings for language! I have a potty mouth and it shows! Especially threw the Dixon boys!

As Daryl stalked thru the forest, Mojo at his side, he couldn't shake that damned feeling again. The last time he had felt it, raiders had attempted to take the prison from them, resulting in the deaths of the attackers. The group wouldn't kill outsiders, but they would defend themselves. The time before that, he got thrown down a cliff, only to later find Sophia. Daryl was a smart guy, he knew to listen to his body, and it was telling him something was coming, something big.

For now, he couldn't determine what was coming, nor where from. So Daryl went on as he had his whole life: he survived. But life was different now. He had a family, both by marriage and thru the group. Carol and Daryl were waiting until MJ was a little older for the wedding. The wedding would be soon, but for now, they were content.

Carol was everything to Daryl. He had never been in love, but she had captured him. Everything he did was for her. Fuck, he'd lay down his cross bow and his sleeveless shirts in exchange for a station wagon and a membership at a golf club for her. But Carol never asked for that. Hell she never asked for anything, she just gave. He soaked all her love back in, and returned it, towards both Carol and Sophia.

Sophia was something else. She was a sweet girl, eager to learn from him, and a sponge for knowledge. Sophia was apt at hunting, being naturally quiet and light footed. Both Carol and Sophia now carried bows with them, Sophia a small cross bow, and Carol a compound bow. Both were deadly accurate, and often went hunting with him and Mojo. Sophia had grown a lot in the last year. Back at the CDC, Daryl had been amused by her, and found himself wanting to protect her, like any man would a little girl. But now… she was a strong, confident young lady, eager to learn, and good at anything she touched. The day Daryl had gone out and gotten Carol her ring, he had also gotten Sophia something, a small box. Inside was a shiny necklace, with the words "Daddy's little girl" on it. Sophia never took it off, and proudly displayed it. She was also becoming the worlds' best big sister. Sophia loved her little brother, and made sure everyone knew that.

MJ. His own son. Daryl loved Sophia with his all, considered her his, but MJ was his own first born son. Daryl was half afraid he'd screw the poor kid up, but damn, Rick had set him right on that, telling him he'd kick his ass if Daryl became like his own father. MJ, named after his big brother, the man who had protected him, and saved him.

Merle, his big brother, his savior. Daryl missed him terribly, needed him so many times this year. When he was feeling pinned down, when all he wanted was to beat the shit out of someone, he missed Merle. He missed him all the time, but knew, if Merle had been there, he never would have gotten his girls, never would have had his son, now named for the lost big brother. Merle was a dark horse, but he was Daryl's dark horse.

Daryl heard the rustle of the trees, and without seeing the squirrel, took it down. As he gathered up the downed animal, Mojo caught up to him, carrying another squirrel gently in his large mouth. As Daryl took the animal from the large dog, he thought back on his feeling, and couldn't shack it. Aggravated, he determined he was going to go to his most trusted person, and ask their feelings about it.

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Carol was changing MJ, when Daryl walked into their room. They had taken the control booth of the cell block, that way when the baby made noise, he wouldn't wake the whole group. They were in the process of decorating it, having waited until they knew wither they had a boy or girl. Now they were planning a run to a small town named Duval, which had several children's and infant stores.

Sophia had asked to go on the run with Glenn and Maggie. Carol felt, even though she was worried, Sophia was ready. Carl had already gone on two runs, and Sophia had quietly, calmly asked to go, so she could help pick out the decorations and toys for her new baby brother.

Sophia and Carol both had grown in leaps and bounds since Daryl had come into their lives. With a strong, supportive man to teach them, Carol was now a proud mother, and Sophia, a strong young woman. Carol knew Sophia was ready, now she just had to convince Daryl.

As the hunter walked towards her, with several small animals, and Mojo at his side, carrying what appeared to be a chew bone, but Carol knew better.

"Is that another walker bone!?"

Daryl chuckled, "na, same one as normal. I keep throwing it over the fence, he keeps gettin' it back." He grabbed his skinning kit, and went to work.

Carol made a face, and then turned to her man.

"Sophia asked to go on the run."

Daryl went still, and then returned to his skinning.

"Ya think she's ready?" he quietly asked.

Carol picked up MJ, adjusting his shirt, and sat next to Daryl.

"I think she is. You've taught her so much, but that won't do any good if you keep protecting her, preventing her from using the skills you have taught her."

Daryl hissed back "she's just a little girl! She's my little girl! How can you want her to go out there? Without us?"

Carol palmed his face, turning his eyes to her. "She's nearly 14 Daryl, she's growing up. She has grown so much since you became her father, so much. And she wants to prove it to you. She wants to see you proud of her, for doing something on her own. Her whole life she has been over shadowed, first by me protecting her from Ed, and now you protecting her from everything. And she loves you for that! But Sophia has to learn to stand on her own, and we can't stop that."

Daryl sighed and kissed Carol. "Damn it woman, ya right again."

Carol kissed him back. "Thank you. Wanna go tell her?"

Daryl nodded and walked out of the room, his feeling forgotten.

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Merle was not a happy man. The god damned Governor, while crazy when he rescued Merle 6 months ago, had gone crazier in the last 2 months, since one of the men they captured killed the Governor's creepy walker daughter. The man had killed her in revenge for the Governor capturing his wife, and no one had seen him since, just taunting glances of his car. All they knew was the Governor was out for blood from the unknown man. The only description they had was he had long black hair, drove a flat black Lamborghini, and killed anyone that stood between him and his wife.

So the Governor had Merle out looking for the damn man, and he was sick of it. 8 weeks of traipsing up and down the same roads, looking for the signature car. Merle knew they would never find him. The man, if he was alive, was hiding, probably waiting to attack. But there was nothing Merle could do about it, so he kept following orders.

Today, the Governor had sent Merle and two others to a tiny ass town called Duvall and Merle was not happy. Smaller towns had fewer walkers, less violence for him to work his impatience with the Governor out on. Hopefully they could find some entertainment.


	3. Chapter 3

The Hero and the Monster

All power to Robert Kirkman and AMC!

Though I despise that I have to wait until October!

Pretty please reviews! There is a major original character on his way!

Warnings for language! I have a potty mouth and it shows! Especially threw the Dixon boys!

Sophia was sitting quietly in the back of a spare SUV, with Glenn driving and Maggie reading directions on their way to Duval. She was excited and scared at the same time. Excited because she was finally going on a run, finally doing something without her parents guarding over her. Scared, because for the first time in her life, her mom and dad weren't there to help if things went bad. But she was ready. Sophia wanted to prove to herself, her mom and her dad, she can be trusted. But being out here, watching walkers out of the window of the speeding car, she was afraid. She missed her dad.

Daryl was everything she ever wanted in a dad. Ed had been evil, she knew that. He wanted a son, so when she was born, he was set to hate her for life. And her mom had been the one to take the pain of that hate. But Daryl was completely different. Ed had never gotten Sophia anything nice, never wanted anyone to know she was his daughter. But Daryl made it loud and clear: He was her daddy and damn proud of it. Sophia knew he had gotten her that necklace, so she would always know she was loved, and her daddy was watching out for her. Especially in the beginning, he had no idea how to be a dad, so he decided that he would just try to teach her as much as possible. Sophia never thought she would choose to go hunting rather then play with dolls, but Daryl was a great teacher. A month ago, she brought down her first buck. Daryl was so proud! He made sure everyone knew that it was Sophia, not him that took the deer down.

Sophia had never had a father that was proud of her. And it felt good. She wanted to make him proud.

She also wanted to help with her new little brother, MJ. Currently her parents bed room was bare, no decorations. They had waited because they had no way of knowing if it was a girl or boy they were having. But now with MJ a week old, it was time to decorate.

As Glenn pulled up next to the first kid's store, Sophia grabbed her bow, checked for the small pistol and 2 knives, the one on her hip and the one in her shoe. Never hurt to make sure. At the same time she touched the necklace Daryl had given her, and prayed she remembered all he taught her.

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As the truck pulled into the tiny town of Duval, Merle looked around, almost hoping for a herd. The ride there was shit, Martinez drove like a grandma. Some excitement would do him some good.

"Pull over, gotta take a piss."

As Merle hopped out of the car, he glanced down the main road of the town. Odd, end of the world, people don't normally park SUVs outside of kids stores.

Merle finished his business, and walked back to the car. "Let's check out those shops, dumb ass place for an SUV to be."

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Sophia was grabbing anything blue, anything for a little baby boy. She wanted MJ to have everything. Glenn and Maggie came behind her, carrying a crib loaded with all the boy clothes they could find in the store, for all ages. As they lifted the heavy crib of clothes, they heard a dark chuckle from behind them.

"Seems Chinaman got himself a bitch? Ain't that cute."

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Sophia came to in a little girls' room. A strange man was brushing her hair. She screamed and reached for her knife, and found it missing. She scrambled back, attempting to get away.

"Hush, hush, little one. You're safe now. I'm the Governor. Welcome to Woodbury."

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Merle left the Chinaman, having had a little….talk with him. A few punches, a little bit of blood, not much really for Merle. But that's all the Governor would allow for now. Merle hated that he needed to go get permission to really get what he wanted; the information he needed, just so the governor could get his jollies.

So far all he was told was that his brother was alive, and when he found out that Merle had kidnapped them, Daryl was gonna kill Merle.

Now see he knew the Chinaman was nuts, cause dear baby brother would never turn on him, had no reason too.

Merle knocked on the door to the Governor's room, where he had taken the young girl. If the damn man wanted to take the tiny scrapper as his own fine by him. But the sexy young lady with the Chinaman had spat at him, stating if he really wanted to know about Daryl, he'd have to ask the girl.

An annoyed looking Governor answered the door.

"Havin' some troubles?" Merle smirked.

The Governor smirked back, and stated in a dark voice "Well… she seems to be under the impression the family she had before we found her still exists. She keeps saying her daddy is gonna kill anyone who stands in his way of finding her. Seems to think I won't kill anyone who comes to take my daughter from me."

"I am not your daughter!" the young girl screamed, and turned to Merle. "He's gonna kick your ass for this!"

Merle laughed, and turned to the Governor. "Let me have a talk with the little bitch."

The Governor smirked, and walked out of the room.

Merle turned back to the little girl. "Ya really think there's anyone out there that can kick my ass? Your dad is that fat ass piece of shit from the quarry! Ya think-"

"He is not my dad. He was a monster, dead right after you disappeared. I have a new dad, and he's way more bad ass than you, you….ass hole!"

Merle was shocked at the words from the little girl's mouth. "Where'd ya learn to talk?! From a damn sailor?"

The girl smirked. "Na, I learned to talk from my dad."

"And who the fuck is your dad?"

The little girl stood up and met his eyes. "My dad, the man who is going to kick your ass, is Daryl Dixon."

Merle burst out laughing. "Ya expect me to believe that shit? Daryl ain't a dad, hell even if he had a kid since I saw ma baby bro last, not possible ya is his kid."

Sophia smirked. "Your brother is marrying my mom. I'm Daryl Dixon's daughter, Sophia Dixon. And you're right; he has had another kid since you disappeared. I have a week old baby brother. His name is MJ, short for MERLE DIXON JUNIOR!" her voice had started quiet, but grown to a shout in the end.

Merle stood back, shocked at the young girls words. Everything she said was crazy, too crazy to be made up.

"Ma baby brother, he's gotta wife and two kids! What the fuck else has changed!"

Sophia, glad she had finally through to Merle, sat back down and continued. "You really think I'm going to tell you anything? You kidnapped us; I can hear you hurting Glenn. When my dad finds out what you've done, he's gonna come, and he's going to bring everything he has, which is a lot, to get me back."


	4. Chapter 4

The Hero and the Monster

All power to Robert Kirkman and AMC!

Though I despise that I have to wait until October!

Pretty please reviews! There is a major original character on his way!

Warnings for language! I have a potty mouth and it shows! Especially threw the Dixon boys!

Merle ran down the hallway, towards Chinaman and the bitch, as he had taken to calling the pair. He needed to get them, get the girl and get the fuck out. He didn't want to believe the girl's words, but he had no choice. If the girl was right, and Daryl was her daddy, then Daryl was gonna be pissed as shit. And Merle was going to be the target. Merle had to get out of Woodbury, with the three prisoners, and get to Daryl before Daryl got to him.

Merle as burst into the room with the bitch, she looked up and smirked.

"Got your information now don't ya? Daryl is not going to be happy to see you now, in fact, I've seen him kill in cold blood to defend Sophia, defend the group. And right now you're his enemy."

Merle ran to her restraints, undoing them as he responded.

"Ya think I don't know that! Come on, gotta git ya Chinaman, git the damn girl and git the hell outta here!"

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Sophia was sitting in the room she had been in since she woke up. Merle had just left to get Maggie and Glenn, and then they were going to get out. Get home, to mom, dad, MJ and her family. Sophia looked up as the door opened, expecting Merle, but shrank back at the sight of the Governor walking in the door.

"I see you've calmed down. Now, you're gonna be here for a long time, so let's get you settled in sweetie."

"Don't call me that! I am not your daughter, I have a family and I'm going back to it. There's nothing you can do to stop that!"

The Governor stopped, and stared at her.

"You really believe that? You're family left you to die; they let you go out with those two incompetent fools. Your dad, the one you claim is coming to get you? He's worthless, he's nothing. I am the Governor! I have armed guards at every entrance and no one gets in without me seeing them! Your dad gets within eye sight, he'll be dead!"

As the Governor spoke he got closer and closer, and grabbed Sophia by her hair. Yanking her to her feet, he tore off her necklace and threw it on the ground as he screamed at her. "I will kill anyone that tries to take my daughter from me!" slapped her in the face and threw Sophia on the ground.

As she hit the ground Sophia rolled into a ball. She could hear the Governor screaming random insanities, and knew she was in trouble. Sophia looked around for a weapon, and didn't see any, until she remembered. The knife in her shoe. A small flip knife, one of her dads from his childhood, given to her in case of an emergency, and Sophia couldn't think of any other greater emergency.

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Merle was quietly headed to the Governor's room, with Chinaman and the girl behind him, when he heard the Governor start shouting.

"We need to get in there!" the girl reached for the door knob, just before Chinaman pulled her back.

"We can't go rushing in, he could hurt her!"

Just as they turned to argue, all of a sudden, the Governor started screaming in pain. Merle burst in the door, to see something that proved all of what the girl had said: she was definitely Daryl's daughter.

The Governor was lying on the floor, clutching his face, as the girl ran towards the three. In her hand, a small knife Merle recognized as one he had given his baby brother for his 6th birthday. The same knife the girl had just used to stab out the Governors eye.

"Come on let's go!" Chinaman yelled, as he grabbed 3 guns from the closet across the hall. Merle took the front, leading them out a hidden exit of Woodbury.

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Merle drove, following the Chinaman's directions. Apparently, the group his brother seemed to be a co-leader of, had set up house in a prison.

"When we get there, let Sophia and us go up to the fence first, cause they won't fire on us."

"Ya really think ma baby brother is gonna shoot on ol' Merle?!"

"YA! You don't get it! Daryl loves Sophia, she is his daughter! Carol is his wife! For Christ's sake, they have a baby boy, named for you, Asshole! You kidnapped your brother's daughter and two of his friends! The group is different than when you left! We're a family, we're strong together. And you're on the outside. What do you think is going to happen? Daryl is just gonna welcome you back?! You could have gotten his daughter killed!" the damned Chinaman screamed Merle.

"Like I knew that shit! How was I ta know-"

"We got company!" the bitch yelled out.

Merle looked in the rearview mirror, to see a speeding sports car swerving around him. The car got in front of them, and slowed down, just as 2 heavily armed trucks pulled in on each side, boxing them in.

Merle prepared to fight, when he saw Daryl standing in the back of one of the huge trucks, pointing one hell of a turret gun right at him.

~Shit, guess they were right! ~ Merle thought, as the other three piled out of the car and ran towards the new comers.

Merle looked to his brother, as he jumped out of the back of the truck and scooped the little girl up in his arms.

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Daryl was mad. Daryl was very, very mad. When Glenn, Maggie and Sophia didn't come home, he flipped out. Rick had very nearly had to sock him in the face to calm him down, but Carol had stepped in and calmed him down. After that, they prepared for war.

TDog took Speedcola. Morgan drove Double Tap, with Rick on the turret gun and Alan riding in the passenger. Oscar drove Juggernog, with Daryl ready for war in the back, with Tyresse riding in the back with him. All were heavily armed.

They had been driving around for hours, when suddenly they saw a loan car driving. They surrounded it, forcing them over. Daryl turned his gun to the driver and passengers, what he saw shocked him. Sophia, with Merle driving.

As he jumped out of the bed of the truck, Sophia ran to him. He scooped her up and hugged her close. Over the noise of everyone talking, he heard his little girl whisper in his ear "Don't kill him, he had no idea! Please, he didn't know!"

Daryl stopped, placed Sophia on the ground, and kneeled in front of her.

"What'd ya mean Chipmunk? Don't kill who?"

The rest of the group, Merle included stopped and looked at the pair. Daryl noticed that Merle was looking quite nervous.

Sophia grabbed Daryl's hand. "Promise me!"

Daryl looked at his daughter, and then to Glenn who he could now see had been beaten up. "Ya no I ain't promising shit until someone tells me what the fuck happened!"

Glenn and Maggie quickly looked at each other, and then Glenn spoke.

"We were getting baby supplies when Merle and two of his men kidnapped us. They took us to this town called Woodbury, where Merle beat the crap out of me when I wouldn't tell him where you were. He then went to Sophia, who told him that she is your daughter, you're now getting married to Carol, and you have a week old son who is named after him."

Maggie continued.

"He then let Glenn and I go, and when we went to get Sophia, we could hear the crazy ass leader of the town, named the Governor was going nuts. He was saying Sophia was his daughter, and anyone trying to take her would die. Then he started screaming, and Merle broke in the door. Sophia had stabbed the Governor in the eye with her boot knife. We grabbed her and broke out. Then you found us."

Daryl froze, listened to Glenn's speech, and looked back to his daughter.

"Did he hurt you?"

Sophia looked to her dad, and sighed.

"He did knock me unconscious at the toy store, but that was it!"

Daryl nodded, stood and turned. And for the second time in Merle's life, only to cutting off his hand, was Merle truly afraid.


	5. Chapter 5

The Hero and the Monster

All power to Robert Kirkman and AMC!

Though I despise that I have to wait until October!

Pretty please reviews! There is a major original character on his way!

Warnings for language! I have a potty mouth and it shows! Especially threw the Dixon boys!

Daryl saw red. Then saw his brother. The asshole that kidnapped his daughter and friends, beat the crap out of Glenn then left Sophia to a insane man forcing her to have to stab the same man's eye out. Daryl was furious.

D/C D/C D/C D/C D/C

Merle suddenly realized that he was in way over his head. He had seen his brother mad before, but Daryl was a different man now. Somehow in the last year, it seemed his baby brother had the time to work out. He was built like a beast, way more so then Merle. Daryl also was sporting some vicious looking scars on his face, and multiple new tattoos running down his arms and across his chest. He was armed to the teeth: several knives, grenades, 2 hand guns after tossing his assault rifle and new cross bow into the truck. And it all was now aimed at Merle.

Merle didn't have a chance to prepare as Daryl threw himself at him. Daryl double punched him in the face, and then kicked him in the stomach. Merle was on the ground in a second, taking multiple punches to the chest and face. Daryl was not pulling his punches, Merle already felt like he was going to pass out. Just before everything went black, Daryl was pulled off of him by Rick and TDog.

Rick grabbed Daryl's shoulders, before he could get back at Merle.

"Daryl listen to me! Brother! Ya can't kill him!"

Daryl threw Rick to the side. "Fuck that! This asshole took ma little girl! Gave her to some freak show!"

Rick stood between the downed man and his furious brother.

Sophia ran up to her father, grabbing his hand before he could throw Rick aside again.

"Dad! Listen to me! The Governor is crazy; he said he was going to kill anyone that took me from him!"

Rick grabbed Daryl's other arm, pulling his attention. "Merle was in there, he knows how the governor works. He can help us. We may have a war on our hands, we need him!"

"It's his fault we're fucking in this mess!"

"Daryl calm down, take Sophia, get in the car. Please! I'll talk to him, get this sorted out. We gotta get her home, both of you. You have to take her home, back to the family, to MJ and Carol."

Daryl glared down at Merle, wanting to do more damage, but his father side kicked in. He reached down to pick up Sophia. Daryl carried his daughter back to the truck, his eyes shooting death at his older brother.

Rick turned to the group. "Get loaded up. I'll be right there."

D/C D/C D/C D/C D/C

Merle slowly picked himself off of the ground. He could feel at least 2 broken ribs and it felt like his nose was broken too. Daryl had beaten the crap out of him, fair and square. Merle had to admit it; he definitely bit off more than he could chew. As he used the car to pull himself up, Rick yanked him up and slammed Merle on the car, jarring his ribs.

Rick got up in his face, forcing Merle to look at him.

"You listen to me you son of a bitch. Daryl is my brother now too. His daughter, Sophia my niece, you pulled her into this! My family, Daryl's family, could now be going to war because of you!"

Rick was damn near chocking Merle at this point. Merle couldn't move out of his grasp.

"You're going to go back. You're gonna find out if he's planning on turning this into a fight. In two days, you will meet me at the town you kidnapped them from, and you're gonna tell me everything. Then, if you survive this, I'll work on getting you in to the group. But if you fuck this up, or anything else..… Unless Daryl gets to you first, I will kill you. Understood?"

Merle glared at him.

"Understood?!" as Rick slammed him back.

"Fuck! Yeah, yeah I got this!"

"Good."

Rick dropped him on the ground, and stalked back to the waiting war machine. As they drove away Merle looked to Daryl, who was looking down the sights of his rifle, at Merle's head.


	6. Chapter 6

The Hero and the Monster

All power to Robert Kirkman and AMC!

Though I despise that I have to wait until October!

Pretty please reviews! There is a major original character on his way!

Warnings for language! I have a potty mouth and it shows! Especially threw the Dixon boys!

Driving back to prison, Daryl sat in the truck bed with Sophia in his arms. She was shivering, as Daryl took his vest off, and wrapped it around her. As he helped her put it on, he lightly touched the bruise forming on the side of her face, looked like a hand print.

"Thought Merle only hit ya on the back of ya head?" he pointedly looked at his daughter.

Sophia looked up to him, snuggled farther down in the warm vest and into his arms.

"He did. Barely enough to knock me out. But the Governor, he hit me in the face. Same time he said he'd kill anyone who took me from him."

Daryl looked at the back of her head, looking for an injury. As Sophia showed with her hand where Merle had hit her, Daryl could only find a tiny goose egg, nothing to be concerned about. But the bruise on her face, much deeper, now darkening into a sick purple across her cheek.

"What the hell happened Chipmunk? I got the story from Glenn, but what happened with the Governor?"

Sophia sat up so she could look him in the eye. She had been thinking of how to say it, and determined she should just come right out with it. She trusted Daryl, besides; her dad was going to figure it out anyways.

"I guess he has decided I'm his daughter. I told him I already had a dad and a family, and he went nuts. Started saying that he had it set up that if you tried getting close to Woodbury, you'd be dead. He was getting really violent, ripped off my necklace, yanked me up by my hair and hit me in the face. When I hit the ground, I looked for a weapon, he had taken all of mine, except the small knife you gave me to put in my shoe. I got it out, and when he grabbed me again I tried to stab him in the face, ended up hitting his eye. Then Merle kicked the door in, with Maggie and Glenn. We left, and then you guys found us."

Daryl blinked. He had been expecting to have to wait to get the full story from Sophia. He never wanted to force her into obedience, he sure as fuck wasn't Ed. But she had calmly and completely told him what had happened.

Daryl pulled his arms around her, and gave her a kiss on the forehead, and said exactly what he was thinking.

"I'm so damn proud of Ya Chipmunk."

D/C D/C D/C D/C D/C

Merle drove slowly back to Woodbury, in the same car he had just taken to run away with. He was trying to figure out what his plan was. Rick had been very clear, fix this or die. And it seemed Officer Friendly wasn't as friendly as he used to be, like when he had handcuffed Merle to the roof in Atlanta. Then again, no one from the old group was who they used to be.

The Chinaman had been a weak ass city pussy, yet it seemed he had learned to take torture well. The girl, fuck, apparently was now his niece. And Daryl…

Merle had often worried his brother was alone now without him. Worried he was starving, or hurt, or turned. Never thought Daryl would become a true part of anything, other than the hell bound family he was born into. But now, seemed little brother had made it big, at least as big as can be in a zombie apocalypse world.

Those trucks were fucking war machines, the group's movements to overtake Merle's vehicle planned. They all were armed as hell, and they all looked strong and healthy. Merle didn't recognize most of the people, but they were close enough to Daryl to pull him back as he beat Merle, without getting punched in the face. Daryl trusted them. Daryl had only ever trusted Merle. What the Fuck!

"I leave for a fuckin' year and baby bro moves the hell on! Fuck him!" Merle screamed out as he beat the steering wheel in frustration.

Daryl was everything Merle had too. Merle was gonna get Daryl back; show him he still needed Ol' Merle. And to do that, he needed to go back to Woodbury, and spy on the same people he had lived with until last night…..Ha!

Merle laughed at the irony, driving on, not noticing the black car with its headlights off, and pulling out to follow him.

D/C D/C D/C D/C D/C

Carol stood in the prison yard, MJ in her arms, as the cars pulled up. She could already see Glenn and Maggie, ridding with TDog and Michonne. As Oscar pulled Juggernog around, she could see Daryl in the back of the truck, with Sophia in his arms. As he hopped out of the truck, he lifted her back into his arms, even if she was getting a bit big for it. Sophia hugged him back at the same time.

Carol turned to Beth, handing her MJ, as she rushed up to her husband to be and daughter.

"Sophia! Baby, are you ok!?"

"I'm fine mom, really."

Daryl scoffed. "Na Ya ain't. Come on, gotta get ya some ice for ya face."

Carol ran ahead of them, in to the space that stood for the group's kitchen, reaching into their deep freezer. As she grabbed one of many of the reusable ice packs, she turned back to her daughter. Now in the light, she could very clearly see a large hand shaped bruise on Sophia's face.

Carol handed her now seated daughter the ice pack, and turned to Daryl.

"What happened?"

Daryl glanced down at Sophia, and back up to his woman's eyes, as the rest of the group poured into the room.

"Merle happened. The ass hole found Glenn, Maggie and Chipmunk in the kids' store, knocked 'em out. Took them back to this town, called Woodbury, ran by some crazy ass mother named the Governor. Merle beat the shit out of Glenn, then talked to Chipmunk. Realized he was gonna be in deep shit with me. He left Sophia alone when he went to get Glenn and Maggie, the Governor came back for her. He's decided that Sophia is his daughter, and was in the process of screaming that at her when he hit her. She went for her boot knife, took out his eye right as Merle got back. The ass hole then got them into a car, headed here. We found them driving."

Carol looked at her daughter's face, the bruise was deep and prominent, similar to the ones Ed used to give Carol. She turned back to Daryl.

"What happened to Merle?"

D/C D/C D/C D/C D/C

~Shit, there's a war coming.~ Merle thought, as he watched the Governor attempt to rally the towns people. He was screaming, about hunting down and destroying the people who kidnapped his daughter. The town's people weren't buying it, hell, most didn't buy it when the Governor first told them his walker daughter was in his mind still alive, and now he was saying there was a new daughter?

Merle could see one thing though; the massive amount of weapons being moved about by the Governor's goons. Goons, which had previously been Merle's, now were the enemy.

Merle had decided. If he wanted Daryl back, he had to play by Officer Friendly's rules for the time being. That didn't sit well with Merle, but he didn't have much time to think about it as he heard the twigs snap behind him.

Merle turned, to see a dark figure standing behind him, holding an odd gun.

The figure smirked, and said "Hey asshole."

Merle heard a pop, then a sting in his arm, and everything tunneled to black.


	7. Chapter 7

The Hero and the Monster

All power to Robert Kirkman and AMC!

Though I despise that I have to wait until October!

Pretty please reviews! There is a major original character on his way!

Warnings for language! I have a potty mouth and it shows! Especially threw the Dixon boys!

Merle woke up to several things being wrong. First, he was in a room he'd never seen before. Second, he was tightly zip tied to a chair by his single wrist, arms, feet, thighs and neck. Third, Merle noticed the large amount of torture devices on the table next to him. Standing over him was a tall, lanky man with long black hair. In a flash Merle recognized him, from the Governor's description.

The Governor had found the man and his wife, and had taken them to Woodbury, but not willingly. Merle had been away from Woodbury on a two week scouting trip, and came back to chaos. The man had broken free, and gotten into the Governor's quarters, where he had found and put down the Governor's daughter. The man had then proceeded to kill 3 men while searching for his wife, before he disappeared. Since then, the Governor had been sending scouting teams out looking for the man, for vengeance for his daughter.

Personally Merle thought the Governor was nuts for keeping a walker. She may have been his daughter, but that little girl was gone, and no cure was ever gonna fix that. But the Governor called the shots, and had sent Merle out looking for the man, with no success. It was on one of those scouting trips that Merle had found the little girl who apparently was now his niece. And now he was trapped….

"Let me the fuck go!"

The man smirked, and picked up a small, deadly sharp looking knife.

"Na, I think you have the info I need, and I'm gonna get it. You're the Governor's man; you're going to help me kill him."

Merle tried moving back to avoid the knife coming closer and closer to his face.

"I ain't playin' on that side no more. Hell ya found me spying on them!"

"Yeah I did. Interesting, what caused the change of heart?"

"I ain't gonna tell Ya, while Ya got that knife on me, I ain't an idiot!"

The man grabbed his face, and held the knife right up to his throat.

"The Governor took my wife. She's most likely dead now because of that bastard. I'm going to kill him, with or without your help. However, still interests me why you turned on your leader. Does it have something to do with you and the hostages you took? The Asian, the young woman, the little girl. "

Merle was trapped, a knife on his throat. Everything in him screamed to not talk, but as he felt a drip of blood spilling down his throat, he sighed, giving in.

"Got separated from ma brother, Daryl, about a year ago. Two of the three I took were from our original group. Hoping they'd tell me where he was at, but got in too deep. Turns out my brother gots himself a little family now, that little girl, apparently Daryl's her daddy now. Except cause you killed his daughter, the Governor's now decided that little girl is his. Once I figured out Daryl was gonna be fighting against me, I moved. Got them outta Woodbury, was driving when my brothers group found us. After getting my ass handed to me by Daryl, Officer Fucking Friendly made it very clear. Find out if Woodbury is going to war against them or I was as good as dead. That's when you found me."

The man backed up, and laughed.

"I saw that, he really kicked your ass! I also saw the same shit you did, the Governor preparing for war. You really fucked up."

Merle growled. "Don't ya think I know that? Fuck, you gotta let me go, I gotta get to them, let them know what's coming."

"Do you even know where your brother is? Or who he is now?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Your brother is one of the most powerful men alive. He is the co leader of the strongest group I know. The Governor, he doesn't stand a chance."

Merle struggled against his restraints. "How do ya know that? Ya know where they are don't ya?!"

The man laughed. "Course I know. I've spent the last two months coming up with a plan to kill the Governor. I planned on going to that group, showing them how much of a threat the Governor is to them. You did that nicely didn't you?"

Merle collapsed back on the chair. "I fucked up okay!"

"I know that, and I know that you have an in with the prison group. You're going to help me get a meeting with their leaders, your brother and the other man, Officer Fucking Friendly, isn't that what you called him? Then you are going to help take down the Governor. Got it?"

Merle looked at the man; saw the slightly crazed look in his eyes.

"Fine. Just let me the hell outta here!"

The man began to cut his ties, and Merle stood, stretching his aching body. Fuck, Daryl did not go easy on him, add the tranqs the man had shot at him, and Merle was one sore bastard.

"Come on; let's get the hell outta here."

The man turned to him, smirking.

"Sorry, too dark. The prison is safe, the area it's in… not so much. We go in the morning."

The man walked out of the room, Merle limped behind him.

"Never caught your name."

The man walked around a table, and pulled out a small box.

"Never said it. Chad."

Merle looked around the room, seeing a massive amount of weapons.

"Merle. So we got hang here for the night? Bored as Fuck then." Merle was looking forward to sleeping.

Chad smirked and pulled a blunt out of the small box. "Well, let's just smoke some weed then."


	8. Chapter 8

The Hero and the Monster

All power to Robert Kirkman and AMC!

Though I despise that I have to wait until October!

Pretty please reviews! There is a major original character on his way!

Warnings for language! I have a potty mouth and it shows! Especially threw the Dixon boys!

**Major warnings for drug (weed) use in this chapter. I have my feelings about it, you have yours. If this isn't your bit, feel free to skip this chapter.**

Carol pulled closed the curtain that stood as Sophia's cell door, stepping around Mojo as he walked to his post at the foot of Sophia's bed. Giving the dog a scratch, she headed towards the prison blocks former control room; now MJs, Daryl's and hers room. As she shut the door, she watched Daryl pick MJ out of his cradle, and into his arms. The infant was so small; he was dwarfed by his father.

"Chipmunk okay?"

Carol smiled, as she changed into her night clothes.

"yep, Mojo is guarding over her. She's fine."

Daryl gently handed MJ over to his mother as she sat on the bed to nurse him. he changed and then sat behind her, rubbing the base of her back, where she was constantly sore. As MJ suckled, Carol turned her head, giving Daryl a kiss.

"are you okay?"

Daryl leaned his head down on to her shoulder. She could always see right thru his defenses.

"No. I ain't. Fuck, Merle. God damned Merle."

Carol looked down to her infant son, named for the man who had caused them so much trouble.

"He is willing to do anything to find you. He may not have gone about it the right way, but he loves you Daryl."

Daryl stood and paced across the small room.

"Merle's been my whole life, now I got my own, and he wants it back. The mother fucker!"

Carol stood, knowing Daryl was getting agitated and she knew how to handle this situation. She handed MJ to his father.

Daryl stood, carefully clutching his son, as Carol leaned into his ear.

"Merle is willing to fight, kill and die for you. I think we should bring him into the family."

Daryl turned, shocked to his woman. "He kidnapped Sophia, could have killed Glenn and Maggie, and may have started a war! Ya really want him here?!"

"yes. Merle screwed up, no doubt about that. But he did what he does because he loves you. And I think bringing him into the family; he'd fight on our side as well. he can't risk not doing so."

"what makes ya say that?"

"Merle knows, when you care about something, you don't give up, even to death. He now knows that you have a family, one you're willing to die for. If he didn't stay, didn't help protect the family, then he'd be putting you at risk."

Daryl looked down at his son, now cooing quietly in his sleep.

"Merle better damn well get that, or he's a dead man."

D/C D/C D/C D/C D/C

"This has been one of the oddest days in my whole god damned life!" Merle exclaimed as he handed the blunt back to Chad.

"What makes you say that?" the dark haired stoner replied.

"Look at it this way. I wake up this morning, happy as any one handed bastard in a zombie apocalypse. And tonight, I'm sharing a blunt with the man I've been chasing for two months, after getting my ass kicked by ma baby brother and kidnapping a niece I had no fucking idea I had. Weird fucking day."

Chad scoffed. "how many one handed bastards do you know?"

Merle blinked. "That's what ya got from that? Fuck, how much do ya smoke?"

Chad vaguely gestured to the other side of the building. "Got pallets. So… a lot. Besides, gives me something to do in-between coming up with plans to kill the Governor."

Merle looked to the odd man beside him. "Ya really hate the guy don't ya?"

The stoner's face turned dark. "He took my wife. Knowing her, she'd die before she'd fall to his idea of a 'perfect town's woman' as he put it. So he either forced my wife into a life she hates, or she's dead."

Chad turned to Merle. "I'm killing the Governor. This is happening."

Merle looked at the strange man. "What are ya? Some kind of super stoner?"

Chad laughed. "Na, just some kinda monster."

Merle looked at the odd man.

"ya is something odd ya no that?"

Chad smirked. "Yeah, just a man with a plan. A good plan too. Lots of the governor's blood being splattered kinda plan."

Merle laughed, then turned somber.

"To do that, Rick has gotta trust us enough to let us in the prison."

"ya, that's on you. You know what you gotta do."

Merle stood and grabbed a bottle of water. "And what exactly is that?"

"pretty obvious. You gotta apologize for kidnapping your brother's friends and daughter, putting them all in danger, in process starting a war that may cost everyone's lives."

Merle chucked the bottle at the wall. "I ain't apologized for shit before! I ain't starting now!"

"The fuck you are! You fucked up man, and your brother isn't gonna play nice and help us take out the Governor unless you do. So man the fuck up, grow some nuts and apologize!"

Merle didn't know if it was the weed, the stress or the truth, but suddenly he felt very tired. Exhausted with the world. Everything was so different…

"My entire life, it's always been family first between Daryl and I. and now, he's got his own little family. He don't need me no more." Merle said in a monotone voice.

Chad scoffed at him. "He may have a new family, but that doesn't mean you aren't a part of it. Hell, your brother named his son after you. He obviously isn't trying to push you out of his life. But fuck, you threatened his daughter, how do you think any dad is going to react to that?"

Merle dropped onto the couch, and picked back up the blunt.

"Me and Daryl's daddy, he was more of the beating kind then the fatherly kind. Hell, he beat the shit outta me every day. He weren't no kind of father, not the kind Daryl appears to be. Fuck, ya shoulda seen it, second the trucks stopped; he had her in a bear hug something fierce."

"I did see it. From my perspective, I saw a father finding his little girl, realizing a threat, and dealing with it. Just in this case dealing with it meant you getting your ass kicked."

Merle smirked. "Ya. Ma baby brother, some beast he turned into. He was always a skinny thing, but now? Fuck, he's got me beat hands down."

Chad took the blunt back. "Prison's have work out equipment. Probably been hitting that."

"Hittin' something else too. Fuck, he has a kid of his own. Damn it and he's gettin' married. He ain't gonna want shit to do with me."

Chad put out the blunt, as he turned back to Merle.

"Maybe not, but no way of knowing without trying. Plus if you succeed, you not only get your brother back, but a much larger family."

Chad stood, walking across the room to their lantern.

"I'm gonna get some sleep. The place is rigged so any walker's getting in will set off an alarm. I suggest you sleep too."

As Merle curled up on the couch, he couldn't stop his mind from wandering. What was Daryl thinking of him now? Did he get that Merle hadn't meant to piss him off? How would Daryl deal with the fact a war was coming, and Merle had started it? Something festered in the back of Merle's mind; if Daryl was willing to kill Merle to protect his little family, then Daryl would be willing to die for his little family. And there was no way in hell that Merle was gonna let that happen.

Merle stayed awake for several hours; thinking, brooding and planning.


	9. Chapter 9

The Hero and the Monster

All power to Robert Kirkman and AMC!

Though I despise that I have to wait until October!

Pretty please reviews! There is a major original character on his way!

Warnings for language! I have a potty mouth and it shows! Especially threw the Dixon boys!

Rick stood in the morning sun, looking out across the prison farm land. The animals had been pulled into their cell blocks, the spaces the group put them in during herds and cold weather. The group had been moving a lot of things around, everyone worried about the possibility of war. However, they wouldn't know until tomorrow, when Rick was supposed to meet with Merle. Daryl had sworn he was going with.

Rick felt for his best friend. The brother he deeply missed had attacked what Daryl held dear. Daryl may not have been a daddy before meeting Carol, but he stepped up to the plate and was a damn fine father. Rick often found himself considering how Daryl would deal with a situation while Rick was dealing with Carl.

Carl had been badly hurt by Lori's schemes. He had been abandoned by his mother, at 12! Rick swore, if he ever saw Lori again, he would do everything to keep that woman away from his son. Lori wasn't Carl's mom anymore, that role belonged to Andrea.

Rick turned as he heard one of the block gates open. Daryl walked thru, carrying his ever present crossbow. Rick had found the new bow on a hunch; he and Glenn had been on a small run and found an archery range. The range had mountains of equipment; most of which Rick and Glenn had no idea about. So Rick had grabbed the brand new bow out of the display and took it back to Daryl. The next day, Daryl and Rick had gone back, loading up a truck purely with arrows, targets, performance gear and new bows. That night, Carol and Sophia got their first archery lessons, and both were now deadly with their chosen bows.

As Daryl walked up to Rick, his exhaustion was evident on his face. Rick frowned, MJ had been quiet the night before, and Daryl hadn't been on watch. As they walked towards the guard tower to relieve Beth and Hershel, the two were also carefully watching their surroundings.

"You look like you haven't slept in days!"

Daryl rubbed his face, trying to push the sleep from his eyes.

"Couldn't sleep, to fucking worked up."

Rick nodded to his friend. "Go, get some sleep. You're gonna need it."

Daryl looked out at the farm. "Can't sleep, daylight fuck me up. Besides, there's enough to do around here. Hell, we may be preparing for war."

"We don't know that yet. Merle still has a day before we know."

"Ya know as well as I do. That Governor asshole has his mind set on my daughter, and I'll die before I let him touch her."

Rick turned to Daryl, looking him straight in the eye. "I'm gonna do everything to keep that from happening."

"I know you are, not so sure about Merle."

"You think he'll turn on you?"

"I think he's not happy that he ain't first in my life no more. The last few times something else besides him came first, Merle took care of it, typically with violence. Beat my ass a few times so I'd stay in line behind him."

Rick smirked. "I don't think that's a problem anymore. You certainly did a number on him, Merle didn't stand a chance."

Daryl laughed. "Ya know, it felt pretty damn good giving him a taste of his own medicine."

Rick looked out on to the landscape, hearing an odd sound, too far away to pinpoint.

"I hope he gets it together, fights beside you. Hell, if he doesn't I told him I'd kill him myself. If you didn't get there first."

Daryl turned his head, trying to find the source of the sound.

"If that's what it comes down to."

Rick and Daryl were both silent as the sound started getting closer, and louder.

"What the fuck is that?"

Rick shook his head. "Almost sounds like… maybe a car?"

The two looked at each other, and moved to their secured positions next to the tower. Expecting an attack, they were surprised when a single, black sports car pulled up the road to the prison. The car pulled up to the fence, and two figures got out.

Daryl looked, and turned to Rick.

"How do you wanna play this?"

Rick glanced out from his view, and up to the tower, where he could see both Beth and Hershel had the two men in their rifle sights. Rick moved out of his position, for a closer look, to see Merle standing there with a man with long black hair.

"I told you we'd meet tomorrow. Who the hell did you bring? How did you find us and why are you here?"

Merle stood nervously next to the car. Chad wasn't kidding; this place was a fortress, the trench deep and thoroughly spiked. Multiple look outs, secure defenses and offences; this place was meant as a stronghold. Two people with high angles on them, one of them a pretty little thing, one an old man; and his own brother aiming his cross bow at Merle's head.

"Came across him when spying on Woodbury. He's gotta beef with the Governor too, got the fire power to back it up. He had planned on coming to ya guys anyways. Wanted to show ya the threat, help ya handle it. He knew where to find you guys."

Chad spoke up. "The Governor is no joke. I know how he thinks, how he moves, maybe even better then Merle. I can help take him down."

Daryl and Rick looked to each other. Rick nodded towards the empty cell block on the right of the home block, the one they had prepared for if Merle returned with them.

"Walk away from the car, hands on top of your heads. Come towards the gate."

Chad was not happy about that plan. "Like hell am I leaving my car here! We brought weapons, that's a given, but to help you guys, we're not attacking."

At this point the rest of the group had noticed the newcomers and responded accordingly. Morgan, Tyresse, TDog, and Oscar were approaching with high powered weapons, while the rest of the group appeared to have pulled themselves into the home block. TDog spoke up at Chad's words.

"I can take his car up; put it with ours for now."

Chad didn't look happy with this plan either, but he didn't fight it, as both he and Merle were escorted to the empty cell block.


	10. Chapter 10

The Hero and the Monster

All power to Robert Kirkman and AMC!

Though I despise that I have to wait until October!

Pretty please reviews! There is a major original character on his way!

Warnings for language! I have a potty mouth and it shows! Especially threw the Dixon boys!

Fuck it was only mid-afternoon but Merle was already exhausted. He had spent the morning being drilled by 4 different people: Rick, TDog, some guy named Morgan, and Chad also had his questions. Merle had played nice, giving them all the info they wanted, anything they asked. So many times he had wanted to make a statement, size up the competition, but it seemed that the person who would have responded was Daryl.

Daryl had spent the entire questioning, the several hours worth, sitting silently in the corner of the room, one hand on his crossbow, the other on his gun. Every so often piping in with a question, the whole room going silent when he spoke. Fuck, Daryl was in charge here, him and Officer Friendly, who from the looks of it, Daryl had taken as a brother. Hell they were calling each other brother. Merle wanted to explode, make sure everyone knew that Daryl was his brother, but considering how trigger happy little brother was looking, that didn't bode well for Merle.

At this point they had a plan for dealing with the Governor, but Rick and Daryl had decided Chad and Merle were spending their time in the empty cell block, versus the occupied or "home" block next door. Every so often Merle would glimpse someone walking by: the old man, that gorgeous blonde bit, a black woman. But mostly he was cut off, Daryl making it very clear he didn't trust Merle around his family.

Rick stood up and spoke to the small group.

"For right now, we gotta plan for him to attack us here. The trench will do most of the work, but he may go for the gates."

Daryl looked to Rick, then glanced angrily at Merle.

"We should move the farm equipment in front of the gates. Close enough that even if they ram the gates, all their gonna do is bash the fuck outta their own gear."

Rick nodded, looked to Morgan.

"Can you handle that?"

Morgan nodded in agreement.

"Sure thing."

"Okay, we gotta plan for the possibility that we may need to draw the Governor out from Woodbury. I say day after tomorrow is soon enough. Going to take some time to work on the explosives, that's tomorrow's project. Tonight, get the guns and cars ready. Both trucks, loaded heavy. Everyone know their jobs?"

Chad spoke up. "Mind if I get my car back? Got some supplies in there we can use."

Rick looked to Daryl, saw his nod, and turned back. "Sure, just know if anything goes south, we all are carrying and not afraid to use lethal force. We've done before, we can do it again. TDog, mind getting his car?"

TDog shook his head, and walked out to the expensive car, as the rest of the group filed out of the cell block. Daryl and Rick were the last to leave, leaving Merle alone.

Merle knew he needed to talk to his brother, and now seemed like as good of time as any.

"Daryl, come on, we gotta talk sometime."

Daryl froze and turned around, a new fire in his eyes.

"I ain't got shit to say to ya asshole. Talk to me when the Governor is dead."

"Come on now! Don't be mad, how the hell was I to know ya had adopted the rug rat?"

Daryl made it across the cell block in a flash. As Rick and Morgan moved to follow, he slammed Merle up against the wall by his throat, chocking him.

"Ya in the habit of kidnapping little girls? Is that it? Na, ya just don't give a fuck about anyone but ya self. Well guess what. I gotta family now, a good one, one that stands by me instead of getting so fucking high he has to be handcuffed to a fucking roof!" Daryl suddenly let Merle go, dropping him to the ground, gasping for air.

Daryl quietly continued. "I don't need ya Merle. Ya kicked me around for long enough. That part of my life's gone, it ain't comin' back. My girls, my son, fuck my family, this group; that's what matters to me now. Not some asshole that kidnaps young girls and leaves them to the mercy of a fucking freak."

Daryl had remained totally calm through the last bit, looking Merle straight in the eye. Merle knew, Daryl meant every word of it. He had lost his brother.

Daryl turned and walked out of the cell block, his two new brothers walking behind him.

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Carol watched as Daryl stalked into the home block, moved to their room, changed and headed for the workout room. Carol met Oscar's eye. Oscar had become Daryl's main work out partner, being closely matched in strength. He also understood Daryl's anger, and knew how best to deal with it. The two had become close, Oscar helping Daryl thru his anger, and Daryl helping Oscar fit into the group.

Oscar stood, and walked out of home block, to the workout room, behind Daryl.

Rick walked up to Carol, a tired look on his face.

"Merle told us everything. We have a good plan now."

Carol looked at the man, knew he was holding something back. "And?"

Rick sighed. "Merle tried to talk to Daryl, tried to say he didn't know that Sophia was Daryl's, but Daryl wasn't having it. For a bit I was worried Daryl was gonna kill him on the spot, but then, damn it. Daryl told Merle that he wasn't going to follow him anymore, that that part of his life was over. Basically told Merle he didn't need or want him as a brother anymore."

Carol looked down at her hands, she was afraid of that. "Damn. This isn't going to work out easily. If at all. If Merle isn't truly sorry, Daryl will never forgive him; never let him in the group."

Rick looked across the cell block at their family. "If Merle hasn't changed, or doesn't accept that Daryl has changed, then I don't see any other response other than to kick Merle out. But I won't do anything like that until after we've handled the Governor. We need Merle's info, and man power. But I won't let him hurt Daryl anymore. We should try to keep them separated as much as possible."

Carol nodded, as she leaned down to pick up the infant MJ. Smelling her tiny son's hair, she knew she had to do something. "Keep them from talking yes, but Merle needs to see Daryl's different now. Needs to see him as a family man, as a leader."


	11. Chapter 11

The Hero and the Monster

All power to Robert Kirkman and AMC!

Though I despise that I have to wait until October!

Pretty please reviews! There is a major original character on his way!

Warnings for language! I have a potty mouth and it shows! Especially threw the Dixon boys!

Yes I have used quite a bit of dialogue from the show. I felt the words the Dixon's used then applied perfectly in this chapter. So there.

Daryl stalked thru the storage block, carrying boxes of bottles of the moonshine he had brewed. It tasted like shit; it would make good Molotov cocktails. As he walked thru the door out of the storage block, he looked ahead to Merle standing at the fence that separated his block from the passageway to home block.

Daryl growled. He wasn't ready to deal with Merle. What he had heard this morning, that pissed him off even more. Merle was the Governor's bitch, most likely had killed people because if it. Hadn't come out and said it, but it was clear enough. Daryl had killed too, but to protect. At this point, Daryl had killed 4 people to protect his family. One of the prisoners, 3 raiders. All of which Daryl carried guilt for, but not Merle. He made that very clear.

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Merle saw Daryl walking by carrying several boxes of what sounded like bottles.

"Whatcha got there? Hell now's not the time to start the drink, baby brother, at least not without Ol' Merle."

Daryl narrowed his eyes at his older brother.

"Molotov cocktails asshole. Unlike you, I don't drink when things go to shit."

"Ha! Ain't never been a Dixon that ain't a drunk, even at the worst of times."

Daryl stopped and placed the boxes on the ground. This had been coming for a long time. Many years at least. And it had to stop.

"That's what ya think ain't it? Just cause I'm a Dixon, I gotta be like all ya'll others: drunk assholes beat their kids and get high to deal with their shit lives! Fuck, if it weren't for the drugs ya wouldn'ta been left in Atlanta!"

Merle was knocked back at the anger in his brothers eyes.

"What! Is that why I lost my hand?!"

"Ya lost your hand cause you're a simple minded piece of shit!"

Merle felt like his heart had been ripped out.

"Fuck! Ya think cause you're an errand boy for a bunch of pansy asses, niggers and democrats! Yeah, they're laughin' at ya behind ya back! Ya nothing but a freak to them! Red neck trash!

Daryl froze, as Merle continued. "Just like me. Ya nothing different then me! Hell I'm on your side!"

Daryl stood up to the fence, less than a foot separated the two brothers. Thankfully the chain link in the way protected Merle from the rage inside Daryl.

"Since when?"

Merle was startled at the quiet question.

"What do ya mean?"

"When were ya on my side?"

"Hell since the day ya were born baby brother."

"Ya never took care a me. Ya talked the big game but ya was never there! Hell ya ain't here now. Never have been, not when I needed ya."

Merle grabbed the fence between them, trying to shake his words into Daryl.

"What the hell ya talkin' about! I was always there!"

"Ya left."

Merle starred at his quiet brother. "The service? Fuck that was only 6 months, I didn't-"

"Ya didn't come home. Hell, from the time ya left, ta when I left, 7 fucking years! Ya didn't come home! Ya left me there, with him!"

Daryl screamed at his brother; saw the confusion in his eyes. Angered, Daryl ripped off his shirt and turned his back on his brother.

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Merle felt sick. He hadn't known.

"I… I didn't know he-"

"Ya he did. Same as ya. That's why ya left first."

Merle stumbled to the ground, hunched over, he felt like he was going to throw up.

"I had to man. I would a killed him otherwise."

"Ya shoulda. Ya think ya had it hard? The belt? Fuck, he got worse. Blamed me ya know, for ma, for you leavin'. Took it out on me too. The belt, the one ya hated so much, was a fucking vacation to me. Na, ya never been there for me. Never when I needed ya. Things don't change much. Ya ain't here now either."

Daryl put back on his shirt and lifted the boxes.

"Ya know, I may be the one leavin', but you're the one walking away, again."

As he walked away, he could vaguely hear Merle throwing up, but he didn't give a shit.

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Rick watched the showdown between the brothers, and felt sick alongside Merle. Rick had seen Daryl's scars multiple times, mostly when he was injured or getting tattoos, but it never got easier. Daryl's father had tortured his son, and Rick now knew that the torture had lasted 7 years. Rick felt for both brothers, clearly seeing Merle reaction. Daryl's scars were deep, and to just now find out about them? Rick couldn't stop himself as he entered the cell block, and walked to Merle, now hunched on the ground.

"Come on, got some things I need ya for." Rick was surprised, as Merle calmly nodded and arose.

"What'd ya need done?"

Rick walked them into the empty cell block, well empty except for Chad sitting at a table with a large piece of paper in front of him.

"Need you to draw Woodbury out. Need entrances, key weapon locations, weak spots, potential hides."

Rick turned to Chad. "I'd appreciate your assistance on this too."

Chad nodded. "Sure, just give me a second, no way in hell am I sitting sober anymore."

Rick was surprised again for the second time in a minute. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Chad giggled in an odd way. "That's right, you're a cop. Well, where I come from, this shit is legal, so don't mind if I get a little stoned." As he pulled out another blunt and lit up.

Rick glanced down to Merle, now sitting silently sketching, clearly thinking about things beyond the paper in front of him. Rick turned back to the odd man in front of him.

"Is this really the time to be doing that?"

Chad scoffed. "It's the end of the damn world. I'm helping plan to kill the man who took my wife, the only thing I give a shit about in the entire god damned world. I'm alone, never gonna see her again, surrounded by people I don't know, in a prison, surrounded by dead people who want to eat me. I think this is a perfect time to get stoned."

Rick nodded at the dark look in the man's eyes, and turned back to Merle.

"Weed the only thing you got?"

Chad nodded. "Had other shit, but rather do weed. Don't worry, he ain't on anything."

Merle raised his head at that. "Don't talk over me asshole. I ain't on shit, got bigger things to deal with right now."

Rick looked down at the paper, a clear outline starting.

"Gonna need more detail than this."

"Fuck, I'm working on it, give me a fucking break."

Something in Rick snapped, and he slammed his hand down on the table.

"You don't get a break. Think ya already had a 7 year vacation. "

Merle stood up. "Stay outta my business Officer Friendly. Ain't your place."

Rick stood toe to toe with Merle.

"The hell it is. Ya don't get it. Daryl and I, we're brother's now. And I've never abandoned him. Hell, he's the only person I trust at my back. Daryl's life is more than just you now. And if you want a shot at getting your brother back? Well you better start doing whatever is necessary to help us beat the Governor, because Daryl, he'll go down fighting. Daryl is willing to die to protect this family. And if you don't help, that very well could happen."

With that, Rick turned and stalked out of the cell block, locking the fence behind him.


End file.
